Year 9 Poems for Remembrance

THERE I WAS

THERE I WAS, DRUNK WITH FATIGUE,
BLISTERS EVERYWHERE WITH NO GUN ROOM TO SPARE.
A BULLIT AT SPEED, HAS NO INTEGRITY TO SUCCEED.
 THERE I WAS STANDING WITHOUT A BIRD IN SIGHT,
BUT ALL ARTILLERY SHELLS HAVING A FLIGHT.
 THERE I WAS, PUT TO THE GROUND,
BUT ALL I COULD HEAR WAS NO SOUND.
 

By Jamie Gibbs

I AM A SOLDIER

I AM A SOLDIER, FIGHTING FOR MY COUNTRY

I’M TERRIFIED, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY.

I SOON LEARNED AND ACCEPTED MY FATE;

I WAS GOING TO DIE AND BE LEFT IN A CRATE

SO PLEASE DO ONE THING FOR ME,

TO MAKE THIS EASIER FOR MY FAMILY.

PUT MY MEDALS ON MY CHEST

AND TELL THEM ALL I DID MY BEST

TELL THEM ALL NOT TO CRY, FOR I AM A SOLDIER

AND BORN TO DIE.

By William Brunning

WAS IT WORTH IT?

I LOOK UPON THE FIELD OF THE SOMME,

AND THE SCARS OF MANY A WRATHFUL BOMB.

I STOP AND TAKE A BRREATH,

STRUCK BY THE SCALE OF DEATH.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

YOUNG MEN, EAGER TO ENLIST,

OBLIVIOUS TO HOW MUCH THEY WOULD BE MISSED.

THEY WERE CUT DOWN, NO MATTER HOW BRAVE,

ALL THEY ARE NOW IS A NAME ON A GRAVE.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

By Duncan Eglinton

MUD

HOBBLING THROUGH SLUDGE, THE MEN THEY CAME

SOME PARALISED AND MANY WERE LAME.

NOT WANTING TO REMEMBER THE TERRIBLE DAYS WHERE THEY LEFT ALL THEIR FRIENDS IN THE MUD AND DECAY.

AT THE START, THE MEN SIGNED UP READY FOR A THRILL,

NOT KNOWING THAT THEY HAD BEEN SENT OUT TO THE KILL.

COLD BLOODED MURDER BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES,

FIGHTING LIKE JUST SUICIDE.

DULCE ET DECORUM EST

WHOEVER KNEW THERE WOULD BE SUCH A MESS

PRO PATRIA MORI  

WHAT A TERRIBLE STORY.

SO TRY TO IMAGINE GOING OVER THE TOP

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE WAR OR IMPLORE IT TO STOP?

By Jack Parrott

Remembrance

Skipwith House was extremely well represented in Junior Assembly this morning and will be again in Senior Assembly tomorrow. Jack Parrott, Duncan Eglinton, Jamie Gibbs and William Brunning  read out their poems, which were remarkably moving. Considering they were scribbled down on the coach during the year 9 Battlefields trip over half-term, they really were terrific.

                       The boys waiting nervously for Assembly to begin:

The Theme for the fortnight is Remembrance and there is obviously special significance this year, with the marking of 100 years since the beginning of World War 1. Mr Nick Brown dedicated the assembly to WW1 due to the trip and nature of the words in the poems, but made it very clear that remembrance is about remembering all those who died in any war and from any nation. An important message!

The poppies at the Tower of London represent the 888,246 British Soldiers who lost their lives in WW1 and I, like most of the country visited the Tower during half-term with my family. This time of year really is one of reflection and respect.

We have a Remembrance service at Shiplake in the Great Hall on Sunday at 10.45am. Please do come if you live locally and are not attending somewhere else. We would love to see you!